A parliamentary investigation into former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s move to Chinese automaker BYD has sparked a political clash in Hungary. While the governing TISZA party has raised serious concerns over potential national security risks and conflicts of interest, FIDESZ has firmly rejected the allegations. The opposition says the two-and-a-half-hour hearing of the former minister produced no evidence of a security threat.
FIDESZ politicians in the committee stood firmly behind the former minister. László Horváth told journalists that the allegations were entirely unfounded.
If there is no threat to national security, the entire proceeding is merely an “unfounded political campaign aimed at stirring up public sentiment and personally discrediting” Péter Szijjártó,
he said.
The former minister’s move to BYD was fully legal, László Horváth said, noting that Szijjártó had cooperated with the committee and answered all its questions.
He also pointed to Szijjártó’s new responsibilities. As head of international relations and new business development, the former minister “does not even set foot in Europe,” but works on other continents, the opposition politician said.
FIDESZ MP Barbara Hegedűs also defended the former foreign minister. This was already the committee’s third hearing on the matter, she noted, yet no indication of a security threat had emerged.
Hegedűs accused the government of hypocrisy, arguing that several cabinet members themselves came from international business or still held shares in companies that compete directly with Hungarian businesses. Those, she said, were the real conflicts of interest.
FIDESZ also warned the governing party that such campaigns could undermine international investor confidence, particularly as Hungary faces a wave of factory closures.
Szijjártó, who told the committee that his conscience was clear, also rejected criticism of the government’s agreements with BYD.
The establishment of BYD’s plant in Szeged remained a major success for Hungary, he said, arguing that the country had won the investment in fierce competition with several Western European countries.
On criticism of state support, Szijjártó made three main points:
- Standard subsidies: The financial support for the Szeged plant was within the normal range and, as a percentage, lower than support provided for other Hungarian automotive projects.
- Infrastructure: State-funded infrastructure improvements are standard for major investments, he said, citing projects in Győr, Debrecen, and Miskolc. The measures for Szeged cost roughly half as much as those planned for BMW’s Debrecen plant. The four-laning of National Road 5 had also been planned since 2008.
- Chinese workers: Szijjártó called the allegations about Chinese workers a “gross misunderstanding.” A group framework permit valid until mid-2027 was intended to help quickly establish the high-tech plant. Once Hungarian specialists and engineers have been trained, the plant will be operated by local employees, he said.
Szijjártó also pointed to his 12-year record in office, saying he had secured 2,305 investment agreements worth 23.5 trillion forints (64.2 billion euros) and 187,000 jobs.
TISZA takes a very different view. The party argues that the timing is particularly significant: Szijjártó had spent more than a decade with access to the country’s most sensitive security and economic information, personally negotiated the BYD agreements as minister and chief negotiator, and joined the company in a senior role shortly after leaving office.
Pál Czakó Czirbus of TISZA argued that a long-serving foreign minister taking his insider knowledge directly to a major private company constituted a national security risk by definition.
György László Velkey, parliamentary state secretary at the Foreign Ministry, also sharply criticized the move. Based on the available documents, he said, BYD had received subsidies worth hundreds of billions of forints as well as permits for around 10,000 guest workers.
The government intends to honor the existing agreements in Hungary’s interests and in accordance with the law, he said, but is considering tighter rules to prevent similar moves in the future.
The investigation is expected to continue for another month, with the governing party planning to question additional intelligence officials. FIDESZ, meanwhile, accuses the TISZA majority of seeking to create a tailor-made “Lex Szijjártó” that could cause serious long-term damage to the Hungarian economy.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Bruzák Noémi
The post Government Accused of Smear Campaign against Péter Szijjártó over BYD Role appeared first on Hungary Today.
Government Accused of Smear Campaign against Péter Szijjártó over BYD Role 2026
IUSTITIA.BG – Investigations 2009-2026 2026-10-06 16:04:38
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